Sue Enquist takes on early recruiting...

[marriard]

For those who want change, what would your rule be? Is it enforceable?

Let's say you cannot make an offer until Sept. 1 of a player's junior year. How does a coach handle that? Make 12 offers and take the first 6 that accept? Is that what parents/players really want? You have no assurance that you'll get an offer until Sept. 1. How do you plan your life if you don't know what you really have and don't have?

Or let's say the offer can't be official until Sept. 1, aren't we back in the same place?
"I can't make you an official offer until Sept. 1 of your junior year, but just so you'll know, you'll get an offer.''
"OK, I can't officially accept your offer until Sept. 1 of my junior year, but just so you'll know, you'll get a yes.''
How do you stop it? Do you limit the amount of contact between coaches, recruits? How are coaches/players going to make better choices for their futures if recruiting/contact is limited?

All absolutely valid questions.

I don't have a full answer, here are some ideas - and some of this is across the board for all NCAA sports. There re obvious issues with the below, but I believe even with these issues to work through this would still be a better situation than today's free-for-all:

- Get rid of partial scholarships. They suck for everyone.
- Increase the # of scholarships to 18-20
- No offers or promises of offers until they Sept 1 of their Junior season
- 1 year complete coaching staff suspension for making an offer or a promise of an offer of any kind before then.
- Change contact limitations. No personal calls, no personal texts, no personal emails, no IM's, no social media following, no weekly check ins, no whatever until they are Juniors
- However allow as much personal contact as you like at specified events - examples such as Nationals, State Championships, Various multi-college camps, skills camps, national team formation and other defined events. BUT NO OFFERS until Junior year. Every event has to be multi-college attended because nothing stops you cheating like another person there making sure you aren't getting an edge over them and colleges are happier as the # of targeted events they should attend for recruiting purposes.

#1 reason this wont work (apart from those who will try to cheat the system): the $$$$ showcases, recruiting services and others are currently making. The above takes a lot of $$$$ out of people's pockets.

Deciding what college before your Junior year isn't a burden - that is what most non-athletes are doing for the most part.

14U should still be developing players - not the current prime market for recruiting activities.

 

[reagansdaddy]

What you are currently seeing is what happens when you try to regulate a free market with arbitrary regulation. I have always thought that allowing recruits to sign an NLI as soon as they get into HS would sort the mess out in just a few seasons. After some coaches get stuck with kids that do not progress they will quickly pull back on the early recruiting.

This makes the most sense to me. Make those early offers from coaches binding by allowing all students to sign a NLI and they will dry up in a hurry. Right now, there is absolutely no incentive to keep a coach from throwing out offers all over the place. I can't blame them for playing the game by the rules they are given. It's time to have them put some skin in the game.

 

[chinamigarden]

A school can only have 12 players on scholarship at any one time, so dropping an offer to a 2020 may not help them sign a 2017...

Actually they can have more then 12 players in scholarship. But the total full s holarships is 12. So they can chop those 12 up any way they want and offer 4 full and 16 half scholarships if they want.

 

[JAD]

Actually they can have more then 12 players in scholarship. But the total full s holarships is 12. So they can chop those 12 up any way they want and offer 4 full and 16 half scholarships if they want.

You are correct, I need to correct my post.

 

[Ken Krause]

What you are currently seeing is what happens when you try to regulate a free market with arbitrary regulation. I have always thought that allowing recruits to sign an NLI as soon as they get into HS would sort the mess out in just a few seasons. After some coaches get stuck with kids that do not progress they will quickly pull back on the early recruiting.

Funny, I was thinking along the same lines but not as practically as you. My thought was when more of these early recruits don't pan out then coaches who have been burned will be less inclined to sign kids early. But I like your idea better. Force them to commit and pay for at least one year. Then they will really have to decide if they want that kid, or are window shopping, or just trying to keep a rival school from getting her.

 

[riseball]

I have tried to think of another business where you can tie up the potential resources of your competition at zero cost and zero risk. Once everyone has skin in the game, behavior will quickly change.

 

[Westwind]

Thank you all very much for your comments.

What looks like "playing on the Internet" to some can be a really big help to others.

 

[Westwind]

Yep, if not more so. Most players are finding their 'real' homes in their Junior seasons. Sure the top D1's have the pick of the talent and get first shot at all their verballed players from years past, but by Junior year EVERYONE is in play - D1, D2, D3, NAIA, Junior Colleges...... Players have come and gone - some have quit the game, some are late bloomers, some can't get the grades needed, boyfriends, majors, life goals, etc... It also really depends a lot on your real level of talent and what you can bring to a program. If you a 6' tall mature stud as a freshman maybe you are still going to the school that you verballed with... maybe not.

Finding the right school is a process. I can't imagine my DD committing to a school today as a HS freshman. I understand but still struggle with families who do.

Not saying don't start the process early and explore recruiting options and have your DD learn what she does and doesn't want. Just saying that the pressure to commit early or you will 'miss out' is not as powerful as people want to make it out to be.

This in particular really helps us. We were feeling that pressure you mentioned in the last paragraph.

And yes, I wish we were developing second year 14's like my dd instead of showcasing. I'm hoping to keep the showcases to a minimum but it's time to start doing a few.

 

[STRIKE3]

All I have to say is Give em hell Sue! I am glad she stood up and made a stance. Yes, she has apparently been guilty of some things in the past but she is a name and it has to start somewhere.
I think the recent post was incredibly timely regarding "when did your DD first throw 60?" Several stated the junior year in HS. Some stated earlier and I get that but these kids (yes kids) develop at different times and there are definitely later bloomers. Just my thoughts and not worth a pile of dog crap but throwing it out there.
Lastly, I remember when I graduated college (D-1 school not that it matters at all trust me. It wasn't Ivy!!) I had lots of interviews late in my junior year and certainly in my senior year on campus. I didn't get any offers until my senior year and fortunately landed a decent gig. Point being, they sure as hell were not making any offers when I was a frosh or soph with the exception of internships. Why didn't they just give me a job when I entered school? Maybe they wanted to see if I could perform during my 4 years at school?
The talk about all the 2020 D-1 scholarships being taken already makes me sick. It is not that fact my DD (2020 grad) doesn't have one but the fact that many of those girls who think they have one, will not end up with it. Another girl (maybe someone's DD on DFP) will blossom late and shine by the time she hits her junior year and gets noticed and the girl who verballed in 8th grade will get pushed to the side because.....quite frankly....the talent she had then was ahead of its time but surpassed by the girl(s) who wanted it more than she did. Where does the story get sad? The girl who got "stood up" by the D-1 verbal in 8th grade who thought her future was already taken care of.

Again, just my 2 cents and I will happily vote SUE ENQUIST FOR PREZ!!!!!

 

[slugger3]

Do the parents of boys in sports have to go through the same thing?
Are some boys verballing as early as 9th grade?
Are they emailing 10-20 schools, hoping a couple show interest in them as a recruit?
Whether it's baseball, football or whatever sport...do boys go through the same thing our DDs do when it comes to fastpitch recruitment?
Thanks